My great-great-grandfather in the late 1800s got a land grant. I'm trying to work out how he got the farm started, because apparently he used to catch the train

My great-great-grandfather in the late 1800s got a land grant. I'm trying to work out how he got the farm started, because apparently he used to catch the train from his labourer job in the bit city, then walk 70km to his land.